Coin counter



Dec. 16, 1952 McGEE 2,621,665

COIN COUNTER Filed Feb. 12. 1952 Patented Dec. 16, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Claims.

My invention relates to coin counters adapted to facilitate separating and counting prescribed numbers of various coins in different denominations such as quarters, dimes, nickels and pennies, in counting the amount of a large number of coins over counting by hand, and in packaging the same in rolls in the usual amounts in which they are customarily handled.

An important object of the invention is to provide a relatively simple and inexpensive coin counter comprising a box or tray open at the top and a circular bottom recess therein to individua'lly receive any one of several coin receptor discs each with a prescribed number of circular coin receivingrecesses of a certain size and all of the same size in any one disc, the box having a slot in one side to receive a disc so that the tops of the disc recesses are open and a coin space or reservoir provided around the disc within a rim of the box so that a curved blade rotatably mounted centrally through a disc in the bottom of the box may be oscillated or rotated in reverse directions on the disc to push and distribute the coins into each recess and then by removing the blade and sliding the disc out through the slot, all coins on the disc except those filling the recesses are brushed or scraped off the disc so the coins remaining in the recesses give a prescribed amount for counting and packaging or rolling in paper wrappers.

Another object is to provide a box or tray with a reservoir or space outwardly of the receptor disc to receive the coins so' that by tilting the box, the coins will slide down over the disc to be pushed and distributed into the coin recesses, while means is provided to better determine or recognize at a glance when all the coin recesses are occupied by coins and means whereby removal of excess coins is facilitated.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent as the description proceeds and the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts pointed out, but it is to be understood that changes and modifications may be resorted to within the scope of the claimed invention without departing from the principles and spirit thereof.

In the drawing:

Figure l is a top plan view of my improved coin counter.

Figure 2 is a vertical cross-section on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the device, and

Figure 4 is an enlargedfragmentary section of a coin receptor disc taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawing in detail, the coin counter is shown as comprising a shallow flat box or tray III preferably rectangular, open at the top and provided at one side with a horizontal entrance slot II between and parallel to the top edge or rim I2 and bottom I3 of the box. The box may be closed at the bottom beneath the slot II by the bottom I3 and provided with a hopper :or reservoir I4 for coins C within the sides or rim I2 around a central circular seat or depression I5 in the bottom into which the slot I I opens. The hopper or reservoir I I may slope outwardly on at least one side as at IE to receive and accommodate excess coins which are adapted to slide into the same as will be later explained. The inside of the hopper or reservoir I4 slopes inwardly over the slot II as at I! to form a scraper and prevent coins C from escaping or passing through the slot.

The circular seat or depression I5 is adapted to individually receive for holding therein, any one of a number of coin counting and receptor discs I8 each with a prescribed number of circular coin receiving recesses I9 of a certain size in any one disc, so that when all of the recesses of any disc are filled or occupied by coins they will give a prescribed amount usually used for packaging or rolling in paper wrappers. The recesses in different discs are adapted to receive quarters, dimes, nickels or pennies and are slightly larger than any one of the coins to be counted, extend part way through the discs and slightly deeper than one coin of any one size so that they Will pass through slot II when in the recesses I9 of a disc I8 without obstructing the passage. Small holes 20 are provided through the discs I8 centrally of the recesses I9 to assist in better or quickly determining or recognizing by sight or at a glance when all the coin receiving recesses of any disc I8 have coins therein by covering the holes 28 when occupied or exposing said holes when not occupied.

Each disc has a central hole 2| disposed over the bottom I3 of the box III or a journal bearing 22 therein having a bearing socket 23. An arouate or curved blade 24 has a depending vertical shaft 25 at its inner end which is removably engaged through the central hole 2| in a disc I8 and extends into the socket 23 of the journal bearing 22 to turn therein. The outer end of the blade 24 is disposed adjacent the circular wall of the seat or depression I5 and a handle 26 extending upwardly adjacent said outer end so that the blade may be rotated or oscillated in opposite directions on or over a disc I8 disposed in the seat I5 to distribute the coins loosely dumped onto the disc, into the recesses I9. As before stated, the recesses I9 are slightly larger and deeper than the coin which they are adapted to receive and slot II is narrower than the discs I8 plus the thickness of a coin.

In use, coins are poured or dumped into the box or tray III which may be tilted to cause the coins to slide down onto the disc l8 in the seat 15 with the shaft 25 of the blade 24 in the journal bearing 22 and the blade resting edgewise on the disc. The handle 26 is then grasped and the blade oscillated or rotated in opposite direc tions to push the coins into the coin receiving recesses [9 of the receptor disc 18 until all of the recesses of the disc are filled with or occupied by the coins of the particular denomination being counted using a disc having correspondingly sized recesses. By turning the blade toward its concaved side, the coins are gathered or moved and slid inwardly, while rotation of the blade toward the convex side moves the coins outwardly tending to scatter them, thus quickly distributing and moving or sliding the coins to fill all of the recesses of the disc to give "a d termined amount thereby counted. Excess coins are brushed or scraped off of the disc .or the box tilted after all of the recesses of the disc are filled so that excess coins are moved or poured into the space around the disc and into the hopper or reservoir i l at the side of the box or tray opposite the slot l l by tilting the tray toward said reservoir It andsloping side it thereof. shaft 25 of the distributor blade '24 is then removed from its bearing 22 by lifting the blade 24 from over the 'disc [8 by means of the handle 25 and the disc i8 with all of the recesses I9 occupied by coins, withdrawn or slid outwardly from the seat i through the side slot H in the box and since the slot is only slightly wider than the thickness of the discs and narrower than the combined thickness of the disc and any coin, any excess coins on the dis-c not in the recesses which are filled with the coins being counted, will be scraped ofi of the disc into the surrounding or side space with the other excess coins. The removed loaded disc is then turned over to dump the coins which are thereby counted and may be packaged or wrapped in rolls in the usual way. The disc is then ready for reuse. In this way, and by this device, a large volume of coins of difierent denominations may be quickly counted by using discs with recesses of different sizes, each disc having all of its recesses of the same size for coins of the same denomination for quarters, dimes, nickles or pennies. Also, the smaller identifying means or holes 20 in or through the discs at the centers of the coin receiving recesses IQ of the receptor discs i8 assist in recognizing when all the recesses or pockets IQ of any disc are filled to expedite counting. In other words, all the recesses of a disc which may be arranged in spaced circular series or otherwise, will accommodate and be slightiy larger and deeper than a coin, all of the recesses of certain discs accommodating quarters, others dimes, others nickels and other pennies, or coins of other sizes and denominations which are standard where the devices is used. This coin counter is also much more simple and expensive than the complicated devices now in use.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

l. A coin counter comprising a receptacle having a bottom with a circular depression therein with a space around the depression and a slot leading into the depression, a receptor disc having coin receiving recesses therein for coins of the same denomination, fitting said depression and movable into and out of said depression through the slot, a distributor blade rotatably The mounted in the bottom of the receptacle through the center of the disc, and resting on the disc to be moved over the disc when in the depression, for pushing the coins into the recesses to fill all of the recesses of the disc each with a coin therein, to equal a prescribed amount, said disc when moved out of the depression through the slot adapted to scrape coins thereon not in the recesses, off of the disc and the coins in the recesses dumped therefrom for packaging in such amount.

2. A coin counter as defined in claim 1, wherein all the recesses of a disc are of the same size according to the denomination of coin to be counted and adapted to relatively freely receive such coins so as not to project above the top of the disc and the slot being slightly wider than the thickness of the disc and narrower than the thickness of the 'disc plus the thickness of any coin, so that coins on the disc in excess of those in the recesses will bescraped 01f of the disc upon moving the disc out of the depression through the slot in the receptacle to move said excess coins into the space around the depression by tilting the receptacle.

3. A coin counter as defined in claim l, whereinthe recesses are slightly larger and deeper than a'coin of a certain denomination and the space around the depression adapted to receive a supply of coins to be slid over the disc 1b'y'tilt ing the receptacle with the disc in the depression.

4. A coin counter as defined in claim 1, wherein the distributor blade is arcuate and mounted on edge and extends to near the outer edge of the disc, and means whereby the blade may be turned in opposite directions to move the coins inwardly when the blade is turned toward its concaved side and to move the coins outwardly when turned toward its convex side to slide and distribute coins into all of the recesses.

5. A coin counter as defined in claim 1, wherein the blade curved in one direction, the disc has a central hole, the receptacle beneath the hole having a vertical journal'bearing, a vertical shaft atthe inner end of the blade extending through the hole and rotatable in the bearing, the blade being disposed on edge, a handle on and extending up from the blade near its outer end, and a hopper at the "side of the disc opposite the slot for receiving coins, tilting of the receptacle in one direction serving to slide the coins on top of the disc to be pushed into all of the recesses by turning the blade and tilting in the other direction slides coins not in the recesses, into the hopper, and the slot forms a scraper at its top to remove excess coins on the disc not in the recesses from the disc when the disc is moved out of the depression through the slot.

HOWARD H. McGEE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 134,962 Whittenmore Jan. 14, 1873 2,526,965 Nordman Oct. 24, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 25,735 Great Britain Nov. 22, 1902 

